Vanuatu’s earthquake recovery operations are entirely dependent on overseas aid, as the government has not allocated any specific funds for the effort.
Peter Korisa, the Coordinator of the Recovery Operation, confirmed in an interview with VBTC News that there is no direct financial support from the government for the recovery. Instead, authorities have reached out to individual government departments, requesting them to allocate any available funds from their existing budgets to assist with the response.
Korisa explained that the government’s financial process requires ministries and departments to submit formal requests for additional funds, known as MPBs, which are assessed annually. “The government has not allocated any dedicated resources for recovery. We depend entirely on foreign aid. If we secure sufficient funding from donor assistance, then we can integrate it into the existing budgets of each department. At present, the government has no specific recovery fund to support ongoing efforts,” he stated.
According to VBTC News sources, any financial assistance received from foreign donors must first be approved by Parliament before it can be utilized. This includes a reported grant of 4.7 billion vatu from international partners.
As the recovery continues, authorities are awaiting further financial support from international partners to facilitate reconstruction efforts across affected areas.